MacGyver: What You Didn’t Know About The Classic Show

MacGyver’s Swiss Army Knife

MacGyver’s trusty Swiss army knife gets him out of several jams throughout the show and helps him create his MacGyverisms from household objects. It also undergoes a couple of changes during the seasons.

The most used knife in the show was a Spartan model from Victorinox, but the knife seen in the opening credits of each episode is different. In the credits, MacGyver is using a Wenger, identifiable by its long keychain. The Spartan Victorinox is still available today and comes with several attachments Mac would make good use of, including a corkscrew, toothpick, bottle opener, blade, wire stripper, and screwdriver.

The Rhino Controversy

A little TV magic managed to outrage fans. In one episode, MacGyver confronts poachers, and during the episode, a rhino is killed. Of course, it’s not a real rhinoceros. The show’s effects team actually spent $40,000 making the fake rhino look real enough to outrage viewers.

After the episode aired, viewers called in to condemn the show for killing a helpless creature. In actuality, the only one harmed during the shooting of the episode was Richard Dean Anderson, who injured his back during the first seasons, and eventually needed surgery. That wasn’t the only controversy that the show faced during its run.